Abstract and Conclusion

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Abstract and Conclusion

• Gerry S. Doroja, MSCS
• Associate Professor
• Department of Computer Science
• Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan
• gsd_at_xu.edu.ph
• January 7, 2005

Adapted from Writing up research online,
Language Center, Asian Institute of Technology,
Bangkok, Thailand, 2003 (http//www.languages.ait.
ac.th/EL21OPEN.HTM)
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Purpose of the Abstract

• For conference papers, research papers, theses
  and dissertations, you will almost always be
  asked to write an abstract.
• The main point to remember is that it must be
  short, because it should give a summary of your
  research.
• In fact, not only are abstracts short, they must
  almost always be a certain, specified length
  (e.g. 200 words) and you should come close to -
  but not go over - this limit.
• Abstracts that exceed the maximum word limit are
  often rejected because they cannot be used for
  databases, summaries of conferences, etc.

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What the Abstract Includes?

• An abstract should briefly
• Re-establish the topic of the research.
• Give the research problem and/or main objective
  of the research (this usually comes first).
• Indicate the methodology used.
• Present the main findings.
• Present the main conclusions

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What the Abstract Includes?

• It is essential that your abstract includes all
  the keywords/key terminologies of your research.
• Obviously if you only have two hundred words, you
  can only cover each of these areas briefly.
• The emphasis is generally on the main findings
  and main conclusions since these areas are of
  most interest to readers.

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Abstract Common Problems

• Too long. If your abstract is too long, it may be
  rejected - abstracts are entered on databases,
  and those is usually a specified maximum number
  of words. Abstracts are often too long because
  people forget to count their words (remember that
  you can use your word processing program to do
  this) and make their abstracts too detailed (see
  below).
• Too much detail. Abstracts that are too long
  often have unnecessary details. The abstract is
  not the place for detailed explanations of
  methodology or for details about the context of
  your research problem because you simply do not
  have the space to present anything but the main
  points of your research.

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Abstract Common Problems

• Too short. Shorter is not necessarily better.  If
  your word limit is 200 but you only write 95
  words, you probably have not written in
  sufficient detail. You should review your
  abstract and see where you could usefully give
  more explanation - remember that in many cases
  readers decide whether to read the rest of your
  research from looking at the abstract. Many
  writers do not give sufficient information about
  their findings
• Failure to include important information. You
  need to be careful to cover the points listed
  above. Often people do not cover all of them
  because they spend too long explaining, for
  example, the methodology and then do not have
  enough space to present their conclusion.

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Abstract and Introduction Comparison

• At first glance, it might seem that the
  introduction and the abstract are very similar
  because they both present the research problem
  and objectives as well as briefly reviewing
  methodology, main findings and main conclusions.  

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Abstract and Introduction Comparison

• However, there are important differences between
  the two
• Introduction
• Should be short, but does not have a word limit
• Main purpose is to introduce the research by
  presenting its context or background.
  Introductions usually go from general to
  specific, introducing the research problem and
  how it will be investigated).
• Abstract
• Has a maximum word limit
• Is a summary of the whole research
• Main purpose is to summarize the research
  (particularly the objective and the main
  finding/conclusion), NOT to introduce the
  research area.

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Purpose of the Conclusion Chapter

• To give a summary of
• What was learned (this usually comes first)
• What remains to be learned (directions for future
  research)
• The shortcomings of what was done (evaluation)
• The benefits, advantages, applications, etc. of
  the research (evaluation), and 
• Recommendations.

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Conclusion Chapter Common Problems

• Too long. The conclusion section should be short.
  Often the conclusion section is as little as 2.5
  of an entire piece of published research.
• Too much detail. Conclusions that are too long
  often have unnecessary detail. The conclusion
  section is not the place for details about your
  methodology or results. Although you should give
  a summary of what was learnt from your research,
  this summary should be short, since the emphasis
  in the conclusions section is on the
  implications, evaluations, etc. that you make.

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Conclusion Chapter Common Problems

• Failure to comment on larger, more significant
  issues. Whereas in the introduction your task was
  to move from general (your field) to specific
  (your research), in the concluding section your
  task is to move from specific (your research)
  back to general (your field, how your research
  will affect the world). In other words, in the
  conclusion you should put your research in
  context.
• Failure to reveal the complexities of a
  conclusion or situation. Negative aspects of your
  research should not be ignored. Problems,
  drawbacks etc. can be included in summary in your
  conclusion section as a way of qualifying your
  conclusions (i.e. pointing out the negative
  aspects, even if they are outweighed by the
  positive aspects).

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Conclusion Chapter Common Problems

• Lack of a concise summary of what was learned. In
  order to be able to discuss how your research
  fits back into your field of study (and the world
  at large) you need to summarize it very briefly.
  Often the summary is only a few sentences.
• Failure to match the objectives of the research.
  Often research objectives change while the
  research is being carried out. This is not a
  problem unless you forget to go back and rewrite
  your original objectives in your introduction so
  that they accurately reflect what you were trying
  to accomplish in your research (not what you
  thought you might accomplish when you began).
  Here is an example of an objective and conclusion
  that do not match

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Conclusion Chapter Common Problems

• Objective The main objective of this study was
  to assess the impact of roadbuilding on villages
  on rural communities.
• Conclusion The model produced in this study can
  accurately predict the social and economic impact
  of road-building on villages in northern Laos.
• If we rewrite the objective to match what we
  actually did (we developed a model), it will fit
  the conclusion
• Rewritten objective The main objective of this
  study was to develop a model to predict the
  social and economic impact of road-building on
  rural communities.